Growing Business & Community - What is a Chamber of Commerce?

Growing Business & Community
What is a Chamber of Commerce?

(As Printed in Niagara Frontier Publications - The Sentinel 2/17/23)

What exactly is a Chamber of Commerce?   To be perfectly honest, when I started at the Chamber fourteen years ago, I didn’t even know what a Chamber of Commerce was.  I had an idea but I couldn’t really give an answer!  Was it a part of the local government?  A non-profit?  A community builder? Is it a membership organization?

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, convener for leaders and influencers, and Champion for stronger communities.  We are a broad based business organization with over 300 members representing thousands of jobs. The Chamber exists to do things to strengthen the local economy, represent the interest of business with government, promote community and build business relationships.  We are in fact a 501(C6) non-profit organization and are not a branch of the local government, however we work closely with the municipalities.   We are a membership organization comprised of businesses, large and small and other nonprofit / charity organizations.  

Over the next few weeks we will be going through a transition of a rebrand including a new logo and name. We will continue to provide visibility, growth, credibility and network opportunities for our members.  Change is never easy, however with 18 years under our belt as a Chamber, it is time to refocus and grow.  Will a new name and logo change what we do?  We hope it will elevate our work  even more and sharpen our focus to serve our membership!

Grow your business network and reach through connection and collaboration with other members through our organization.  Visibility – Stand out and connect with businesses, organizations and neighboring communities!
Growth – Grow your business network and reach through connection and collaboration!  Credibility – Chamber membership is respected by other businesses, the community and potential clients!  Network – Stay up to date on what is going on in the community with a TEAM that is committed to making connections for you!

Our board of directors is laser focused on taking an inward look at what our organization is currently doing and where we can improve.  We are looking at partnerships, economic growth for the region and what we are doing to promote Lewiston and the surrounding communities as a premiere place to live, work and play.   For more information on what we are up to, visit www.NiagaraRiverRegion.com